Friday, August 14, 1987

Application a learning experience.

In his first major statement on science policy, Gov. Steve Cowper announced his commitment to assemble Alaska’s application for the proposed superconducting supercollider. Alaska’s leadership is finally sending the message to our federal government that we require high-energy physics for economic development.

This commitment to high-energy physics has the potential to evolve into something similar to the highly successful Ministry for International Trade and Industry (MITT) in Japan. MITI helps bring together government, industry, finance. education and entrepreneurship for the purpose of selecting and promoting catalyst industries that create economic growth far beyond the directly targeted sector. The Japanese learned this principle of maximum financial leverage by studying U.S. science driver projects; so why can’t Alaskans?

Gov. Steve Cowper’s commitment to the application for placing the superconducting supercollider in Alaska must become a learning experience directed toward advancing the frontiers of high-energy physics for primary reduction of strategic minerals.

This path of development will insure that even if we do not achieve the superconducting supercollider goal, we will have taken the first step in the creation of an industrial science policy for economic development while asserting leadership with our federal government.

Charles E. Duncan